New Delhi: Former India captain Kapil Dev and the BCCI buried the hatchet following their differences over the ex-cricketer joining the rebel ICL. The board welcomed him back with immediate effect, disbursing his one-time benefit payment of Rs 1.5 crore.
The BCCI issued a media release, moments after the 1983 World Cup winning captain met president N Srinivasan at the board’s headquarters on Wednewday morning.
Kapil had earlier written a letter to the BCCI stating that he had resigned from the ICL.
“The BCCI will now release the one-time benefit of Rs 1.5 crore for Kapil (for playing more than 100 Tests) and he will again be eligible for monthly gratis of Rs 35,000 from the board. His gratis arrears for the last five years will also be cleared with immediate effect,” a senior BCCI official said.
Kapil, who tried to avoid the waiting media persons, however seemed happy to be back in the official fold.
“BCCI is like a parent and we are like its children. Even during my earlier association, I have contributed for welfare of cricket and cricketers and even now I aim to do so,” Kapil told mediapersons.
“I never understood whether the word amnesty is correct or not. May be I am not very intelligent but I checked the dictionary to find the meaning,” said Kapil later at an event.
People had associated the word ‘rebel’ with Indian Cricket League but the 53-year-old said that his stint at the unsanctioned league had been a learning experience for him.
He agreed that there were misunderstandings with the BCCI but those have been sorted out now.
“I have always believed that there isn’t a single thing that can’t be sorted out if two people sit across the table and talk it out. Even Indo-Pak issue could be sorted out if there is proper dialogue.
“I have never disregarded BCCI as it was, and will remain, my parent body. As a sportsman, my aim was to help sportspersons grow. The idea is to see what is good for sport rather than what’s good for individuals,” Kapil said.
When asked whether he expects any specific role from the Board, Kapil was non-committal,”I don’t know. It’s for them to decide.”
His first national captain, Bishan Singh Bedi, who was also present at the function, termed the decision “magnificent news.”
“All these years, Kapil must have been very tense. Kapil still has so much to contribute to Indian cricket,” Bedi said.
Kapil, however was quick to refute the “tense” part, though.
“Paaji, for five years, I never had any tension,” Kapil said as the small gathering had a good laugh.
The legendary all-rounder, who joined the now defunct ICL back in 2007, was banned by the BCCI for being a part of unsanctioned league.
While the other cricketers and officials who were a part of the league had gone back to the official fold much earlier, Kapil had said that he will never seek amnesty from the parent body unlike others.
Recently, during the BCCI working committee, which was held in New Delhi, Kapil dropped in to meet Srinivasan and handed him a copy of his resignation letter from the ICL and it was then only a matter of time before the parent body welcomed him back.
A senior official said that format of Kapil’s letter was such that “it doesn’t hurt the dignity of a player of his stature and at the same time restores BCCI’s position as the guardian of the game in the country.” (PTI)